Archive | December 2013

What’s Wrong with the Wobbegong?

Dec31

What's Wrong with the Wobbegong?

What’s Wrong with the Wobbegong?

Phillip Gwynne and Gregory Rogers

Little Hare 2013

hbk RRP$A24.95

9781921714962

Crab is worried.  Wobbegong has his towel, his music on his retro radio and his sunscreen and looks set for a day on the beach sunbaking, but he has no picnic basket or esky or any sort of food.  “What’s wrong with the wobbegong? He doesn’t eat a thing” says the crab to the stingray.  And so begins a quirky cumulative tale as the various marine creatures become more and more concerned about the wobbegong, until…

A wobbegong in budgie smugglers, an ice cream loving crab, a clam in boardies, a humpback in a floral dress and a seabird selling beach treats make up the cast of this endearing story and accompanied by the unmistakeable illustrations of Gregory Rogers – one of the last books he did before he died – it is just delightful.  The ending is delicious!!!

This is a story that works on all levels – the rhythm of the language will engage the little ones, while older students will appreciate the humour.  Miss 7 will love to share this one with her school friends when she donates it to her school library.

A peek inside...

A peek inside…

 

 

Max & George

Dec31

Max & George

 

 

 

 

 

 

Max & George

Cori Brooke & Sue deGennaro

Penguin/Viking 2013

hbk., col.ill., $A24.99

9780670076352

Max was never lonely.  As long as there was a window, he had a friend because George lived in windows. No matter where the window was, Max could see George and he spent a long time looking at him. Because they were very similar – same height, same clothes, and whenever Max moved, so did George. They even shared the same feelings. But then the time comes for Max to start school. And he’s nervous.  Even though George was there in the school window, Max’s teacher made him sit where he couldn’t see him. Will Max find the confidence to leave George and make a real friend?

This is a delightful book, perfect for the child about to start school and finding it hard to let go of what is known and take the leap into the unknown. With its charming illustrations, it will appeal to all children – those who are like Max and empathise with him, and those like Sam who are a bit more confident and can reassure him.  Tip for parents- teach your child a joke before they leave …

 

 

 

Elmer

Dec29

Elmer

Elmer

David McKee

Andersen Press, 1989

Elmer is an elephant.  But he is no ordinary elephant.  Elmer is a patchwork elephant. He is yellow and orange and red and pink and purple and blue and green and black and white. And he gets into all sorts of adventures with his elephant friends and jungle mates in the series that is so popular it’s available in a range of languages which is perfect for those with students who are lucky enough to be bilungual. and formats including an ebook from iTunes and a YouTube clip.  

Elmer is among my list of perfect story books.  It has a most engaging character who is quite child-like; the stories are simple, and at times funny, but there is is a richness which can lead to lots of prediction, problem-solving and discussion; and the pictures are colourful and support the text perfectly. It’s great as a read-aloud but it also attracts those early readers who are trying books out for themselves.

A peek inside...

A peek inside…

Elmer is a rich teaching tool. Very little ones can practise their colour recognition and an Internet search will return a range of blackline masters to colour and help develop fine motor skills. The technique that McKee has used to depict the jungle vegetation lends itself to creating a mural using cut-paper shapes and adding pictures of Elmer’s friends and labelling these helps vocabulary development.  There’s scope for an investigation of where Elmer might live and who might live there with him, as well as providing parallel non-fiction resources as children clamour to find out more about this appealing species, including their sustainability.  There’s a reason television news shows always report the birth of baby elephants.

Definitely one of my best.

The Three Wallabies Gruff

Dec5
The Three Wallabies Gruff

The Three Wallabies Gruff

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Three Wallabies Gruff

Yvonne Morrison

Heath McKenzie

Little Hare, 2013

pbk., RRP $A14.95

9781742977157

The Wallabies Gruff – mum, dad and son – are tired of the drought-ridden, dusty, dry outback and so they set off to find greener pastures, “somewhere leafy and cool with trees bending over a sparkling pool.”

Meanwhile, far away in the back of beyond, a group of wild creatures lived close to such a pond but it is fiercely guarded by a yowie, selfish and stingy and cruel, and no one was allowed access to his pool.  He ruled over the rickety bridge and woe betide any creature who tried to cross it.

Who’s that going PIT PAT   

down MY private TRACK?

I’LL GOBBLE YOU UP

FOR MY AFTERNOON SNACK!

So what happens when the Wallabies Gruff arrive at this pool and decide it’s their perfect home? Especially when they don’t heed the warnings of the other creatures!

This is another in the series of Australian versions of traditional tales that Yvonne Morrison and Heath McKenzie are becoming known for.  Just as in The Cocky who cried Dingo, The Emu who laid the Golden Egg and Town Possum, Outback Possum Morrison has crafted a catchy story in rhyme which bounces along and McKenzie’s illustrations bring it all to life. And, just as in the other three, there is a message that can be brought out by skilful discussion and teaching – in this case, bullying.  What happens to the yowie when he picks on someone his own size?

There’s also scope for some great bush-based artwork, and also some science as the children try to build a bridge that would support the weight of Father Wallaby. Just how much does a wallaby weigh?  Very young children can explore ordinal numbers, size and position words like ’over’ and ‘under’.  Once you start thinking, the ideas and possibilities are endless, and no doubt teaching notes for the original Three Billy Goats Gruff could be easily adapted.

This is a worthy addition to the series and your collection.

Others in the series are

The Cocky who Cried Dingo

The Cocky who Cried Dingo

The Emu that laid the Golden Egg

The Emu that laid the Golden Egg

Town Possum, Outback Possum

Town Possum, Outback Possum

 

Bringing Down the Wall

Dec2
Bringing Down The Wall

Bringing Down The Wall

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bringing Down the Wall

David P. Reiter

Sona Babajanyan

IP Kidz, 2013

 

Hbk., RRP $A26.00

9781922120199;

Ebook RRP $A8.00

9781922120205

Once, Joshua was very close to his grandfather but since his grandmother got really sick and died, he hasn’t seen him because his mother will not let him.  Joshua suspects it has something to do with his grandfather’s new wife, but eventually the tug of family overcomes him and he sets out on his own to visit him secretly. Timidly he approaches the house and knocks, and is greeted by Riva who tries to persuade him to ring his mum while they wait for Grandpa to come home with ice cream.  But Josh wants to see his grandpa first and when he arrives, they sit down and Grandpa tells him a story from his childhood about little boys not being able to make a difference.

But Joshua disagrees – he thinks they can and he thinks he is. 

That’s not the only lesson Joshua learns that day in a sensitive portrayal of a situation of a family’s rift that is all too common.  For not only does Joshua learn that just one person can take the step to healing, he also has his grandfather’s wisdom of knowing why the rift has occurred and there is understanding rather than blame. Sometimes time can heal, but sometimes it can create a gap too wide to cross. His may not be the only heart healed today.

The soft muted tones that Sona Babajanyan has used in the illustrations echo the poignancy of this story that explores topics that are common in our students’ lives but not necessarily written about in books. The ache between grandchild and grandparent and vice versa is tangible, and there’s always a piece of you missing when one is removed through divorce or death.  Too many years can be lost if there is no reconciliation and Joshua may prove inspirational to some. This is fiction mirroring real life. Sometimes all it takes is the courage to pick up the phone. Little people CAN make a difference, indeed.

Meg and Mog

Dec1
Meg and Mog

Meg and Mog

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Meg and Mog

Helen Nicoll

Jan Pienkowski

Picture Puffin

9780141501505

“Once upon a time there was a witch called Meg. At midnight, the owl hooted 3 times and woke her up. She got out of bed to dress for ther spell party. She put on her black stockings, her big black shoes, her long black cloak and her tall black hat.” 

And so begins a series that has delighted children for over 40 years. 

Meg, with her trusty black cat Mog and Owl have had a number of adventures over time, although sadly there will be no more as  Helen Nicoll  died in 2012.  Pienkowski, continues to illustrate even though he is well into his 80s.

It’s easy to see why these characters are favourites who have endured so long.  Apart from the appeal of the stories which are straightforward, usually based on Meg messing up,  and expressed in simple sentences, usually one to a page, the visual impact is enormous.  The text is in a font that resembles a child’s printing and goes uphill and down to emphasise the meaning and is accompanied by speech bubbles and other techniques to make the words come alive. Pienkowski’s illustrations suit this perfectly because they are simple and clean, often just a combination of basic lines and shapes against a background of plain, vivid colour.

The series has been made into a television production (available on YouTube) which sticks close to the originals and bring them to life, but I believe the greatest value of these stories, apart from the sheer fun and colour, is their contribution to the development of early reading behaviours that are critical for later success. The  sentence structure, font, and layout are so supportive that even the very young can join in and read along, recognise words and believe they are readers.. They can practise drawing the characters because of their simplicity and there is a host of teaching ideas that are available through an online search. 

There are few early readers who have been in my care who have not met these wonderful characters.

A peek inside...

A peek inside…